that it has but in the national psyche its dwarfed by russia. in the thought processes germany only plays into as being a major player in the eu. its viewed as a cultural threat only. russia is viewed as wanting to erase poland of the map.

Any location that exists as a small buffer zone crammed between two or more superpowers tends to have a long history of "current crisis". As a small strip between Germany and Russia (or their historical equivalents), it is a piece of territory that always seems to be the place where things get nasty when the status quo of east/west Europe politics get wound up. As such, US involvement, for better or worse, is part of a larger picture of current east/west Europe tensions.

Given the uncharacteristic long period of peace in the region, most would say US involvement was a good result, for that reason alone. The only other historical contender for extended peace would be during Roman times, where similar vast advantages in logistics, technology and manpower made any idea of upsetting the status quo a bad idea on account of the threat of swift consequences that would be delivered.

As we move in to an age where the superpower status of the US is diminishing or at least getting redefined, it remains to be seen how events in this crisis ridden piece of geography will play out.

You weren't mentioning a specific crisis of Poland, but if you were talking about the resurgence of rightwing politics, that has more direct links to EU integration, of which the (diminishing) power clout of the US as an ally is indirect.

IOW if you want to play the US as a contributer to problems in the region, its more the case of a superpower gradually leaving the scene so the traditional geography/political problems resurface.

You don't pay attention, do you? The last Ice Age, the coming collision of Andromeda and the Milky Way, all are the fault of the US. So why not this, too?

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While you present completely legitimate reasons to blame the US, I suspect this isn't the answer Sculptor was looking for. Perhaps he'd like to clarify? Are people even allowed to start topics here where they don't contribute anything in the OP or subsequent posts, but still try to steer everyone else towards having a certain dialogue?

The national psyche is one thing. The effects of the German occupation in WWII include more than psychological harm.

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while thats true it has nothing to do with the current crisis in poland. the effects have to a large extent have been erased. to the polish people its dealing with russia that's the issue. i take it you've never been to poland or talk a pole.

while thats true it has nothing to do with the current crisis in poland. the effects have to a large extent have been erased.

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That is not possible.
The shadow of WWII still spooks the US, even - with nothing like the reminders on the landscape, or the cultural and political voids, faced by the Poles.

I have never been to Poland. I have talked to Poles. I have heard a Pole - first generation immigrant - blame the economic hardships of Poland on "the Jews" - in iirc about 2001. He meant Jewish people living in Poland, in big cities. I have yet to hear any Pole blame any of Poland's troubles on a lack of Jews - although I don't run into that many first or second generation Polish immigrants.

I have never been to Poland. I have talked to Poles. I have heard a Pole - first generation immigrant - blame the economic hardships of Poland on "the Jews" - in iirc about 2001. He meant Jewish people living in Poland, in big cities.

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Was it just a few Jews in big Polish cities he was blaming, or all 20 of them?

The Jewish communities of eastern Europe were devastated. In 1933, Poland had the largest Jewish population in Europe, numbering over three million. By 1950 the Jewish population of Poland was reduced to about 45,000.

The Jewish communities of eastern Europe were devastated. In 1933, Poland had the largest Jewish population in Europe, numbering over three million. By 1950 the Jewish population of Poland was reduced to about 45,000.

I've read that virtually all of those 45,000 survivors were subsequently expelled by the communists who took over after the war. They must have left powerful ghosts behind to have such a devastating impact on Poland's ability to get its act together.

Was it just a few Jews in big Polish cities he was blaming, or all 20 of them?

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Dunno. I've found it best not to press such explanations for details.

It's the same policy one applies when hearing about the Rich New York Liberal Wall Street Bankers leading us toward Socialism through Government Regulation. Who exactly those people are supposed to be is best left unexamined in social circumstances, one's inner coward insists.

(it won 37.6 percent of votes, which gave it 51 percent of seats in the Sejm, the lower chamber of Parliament).

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Apparently some Poles formed a Republican Party, and it found a way to gain a 50%+ House majority with about 38% voter support, after which it could bust out the country:

Although Polish parties are weakly institutionalized and leader-centric, PiS is an extreme case, a mini-autocracy in which one man, the chairman, has the final say in all decisions. - - - - - Other former insiders have related that PiS officials felt intense pressure to participate in sycophantic displays of personal loyalty to the leader and were subjected to repeated, casual humiliations. Why did they put up with it?

Because they had their eyes on the prize: the spoils of power. This is the pragmatic reason behind the ongoing assault on the rule of law. During eight long years in opposition, the PiS held together thanks to an unwritten understanding that, once in government, its members would be rewarded with state-sector jobs on the basis of political loyalty. These jobs would become vacant by a mass-scale purge of the civil service, local administration and publicly owned companies.

For Mr. Trump, the stop in Poland on Thursday is something of an appetizer before the main course, a visit to a friendly right-wing, populist government with a kindred approach on any number of key issues, from immigration to global warming and coal mining.

That is not possible.
The shadow of WWII still spooks the US, even - with nothing like the reminders on the landscape, or the cultural and political voids, faced by the Poles.

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never said ww2 did still have an effect i said the germans effect is still large over. its the soviet betrayel and invansion that loom in the minds of the polish people when thinking of world war 2

I have never been to Poland. I have talked to Poles. I have heard a Pole - first generation immigrant - blame the economic hardships of Poland on "the Jews" - in iirc about 2001. He meant Jewish people living in Poland, in big cities. I have yet to hear any Pole blame any of Poland's troubles on a lack of Jews - although I don't run into that many first or second generation Polish immigrants.

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im a third gen polish immigrant also my brother was in poland for a month or so a while back and got a chance to talk to people there when the counter missile crisis was going on. every viewed it as russia up to its old trick again.